Everyone knows that the main objective of advertising is to create a message that’s inspiring to as many people as possible, for the highest return on investment. Simply put: marketers are always striving to find the lowest cost solution to reaching the most potential customers. And, while the two rarely operate in tandem, it is possible to create a marketing approach that’s very effective for very little out of pocket. One such way to create an extremely cost effective marketing plan, which also has the potential to be far reaching, is to make the most of cross-media marketing.
Cross-media marketing is an aptly named marketing approach that intertwines numerous forms of media to project the same or similar messages, usually relating back to a single marketing campaign. The reason it works is a combination of its reach, approach and cohesion—all of which appeal to customers in a way that makes the objective of the marketing campaign seem better and better.
A crash course in cross-media marketing
The best way to explain cross-media marketing is through example. Let’s say that you’re the owner of a local bakery and you’ve just introduced a great new service: business catering for breakfast. You’re ready to get to work providing this service, but before you can get started, you need customers who will purchase your service! So, what better way to get the word out than through some local advertising? A cross-media marketing approach would follow as such:
- You have fliers and direct mailers created and distributed to all of the local businesses in your service area. These fliers would advertise your services, while also pushing people to your website or encouraging them to look up your various social media profiles with their smartphones.
- You have various local online advertisements set up based on certain keywords, such as “breakfast catering,” “business catering” or “bakery delivery”, which would serve to cover those businesses typing in these terms online in your delivery area.
- You would have a section of your website dedicated to your new catering service, which would also serve as a landing page for visitors coming from your direct mail pieces and any web advertisements that are clicked on. The landing page would provide potential catering customers with everything they need to get the catering they seek.
While this is just a simple example of what cross-media marketing is, know that the scope and depth of a cross-media marketing campaign can be expanded nearly infinitely, encompassing numerous channels and mediums.
The meaning and purpose
Cross-media marketing boils down to a couple of very simple ideas—ideas that virtually any business big or small can utilize to drive a better marketing approach:
- By using several marketing mediums, you’re able to link advertisements together, creating a more cohesive message that might not be capable with just one medium.
- By leveraging different mediums, you can direct and drive attention and traffic to where it needs to go—whether it’s a website, a smartphone app or your physical location!
- The more mediums you use, the more chances you have to target a wider audience and get the exposure that you need to for your campaign.
Cross-media marketing is basically just a big web of marketing in which all strands lead back to a center ideal or objective. If you’re smart in stringing together your web, it’ll be easier to get customers to that center objective, whereas with a single strand, you’re going to have a much harder time reeling in customers.
If the concept of cross-media marketing sounds complicated and intimidating to you, don’t worry, it’s easy to get the hang of! Start small, pay close attention to your marketing efforts and don’t be afraid to think outside the box! And, if you’re having trouble weaving your cross-media marketing web, don’t forget that you can always seek perspective from the outside and look for help at your local AlphaGraphics center!